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When President Barack Obama travels to Missouri Wednesday to make a final pitch for his health care overhaul, the Senate candidate from his own party won’t be there to greet him.

Democrat Robin Carnahan will be absent from the invitation-only afternoon rally at St. Charles High School due to a prior commitment in Washington, the campaign tells POLITICO.

Carnahan, who is vying with GOP Rep. Roy Blunt for the open seat of retiring GOP Sen. Kit Bond, is choosing to keep her official schedule of secretary of state business in the nation’s capital rather than appear with the president in her home state eight months before she stands for election.

“She won’t be at the event because she was already committed to be in Washington that day on official business, meeting with financial regulators and policymakers to demand strong federal action to hold Wall Street bankers accountable and better protect consumers,” said Carnahan campaign spokesman Linden Zakula.

A February Rasmussen Reports survey pegged Obama’s Missouri approval rating at just 40 percent. His 59 percent disapproval rating in the Show-Me State registered higher than the national average.

“Carnahan may not stand on the platform next to President Obama in St. Louis on Wednesday, but Missourians will not soon forget that she stood with him on every major plank of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid platform,” said Lloyd Smith, the state party’s executive director.

Zakula contends politics isn’t driving Carnahan’s absence, but her move is already throwing a wrench in the plans of GOP officials, who had hoped to capture footage of her with the president to use in television advertisements this fall.

The president’s visit is also raising eyebrows because his evening fundraiser is slated to benefit Sen. Claire McCaskill, who doesn’t stand for re-election until 2012.

“We are not aware of another example of the president ignoring a U.S. Senate candidate on the ballot in less than eight months and instead raising money for someone who is not up for re-election until 2012,” noted Smith.

Democrats point out that Obama’s fundraising will also benefit the party’s Senate campaign committee, which could be used to aid Carnahan.

“Some of the funds raised should indirectly help Robin in her race,” Zakula said.

But when asked why Obama was raising money for McCaskill rather than Carnahan, Zakula responded, “that’s a question for the White House.” He also could not say whether Obama would campaign with Carnahan this fall.

While in D.C., Carnahan is expected to replenish her war chest with back-to-back fundraisers, including one on Tuesday evening with Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.)

Missouri State University political science professor Brian Calfano said the state’s current political climate makes it wise for Carnahan to keep her distance from the president.

“McCaskill, of course, has the luxury of time before having to gear up for her reelection campaign in earnest and can find a way to reintroduce herself to Missouri voters before 2012. Carnahan doesn’t have that option, so she’s rightly trying to get out of the way of the health care train wreck, which is how many in Missouri perceive it,” said Calfano.

Democrats arae starting to realize that if they want to get re-elected, they better start running away from Obama, the most unpopular president at this point in his term of any president since they started keeping records.

How much longer is this colossal failure of a President going to remain in office??? Something has to be done soon..we can't wait three more years to get rid of him! Never before in history has an American president been so excoriated by members of his own party after barely a year in office. The wheels aren't coming off...they are off! Only a madman would keep beating a dead horse (ObamaCare) day after day after day knowing that 3/4 of the country is against HIS plan! When are the audiences going to start throwing rotten eggs at him??? Oh yeah...the audiences are hand picked stooges! He reminde me of Captain Queeg from the Caine Mutiny! The only thing missing is the steel balls!!!

Mar. 9, 2010 - 7:01 PM ESTDemocrats arae starting to realize that if they want to get re-elected, they better start running away from Obama, the most unpopular president at this point in his term of any president since they started keeping records.

Frankly, though, I don't she will miss Obama's visit much at all.

"Since they started keeping records"? How simplistic are you?

Assuming you're talking about polls, not "records", Obama is even with Reagan after the first year and ahead of Clinton.

How much longer is this colossal failure of a President going to remain in office??? Something has to be done soon..we can't wait three more years to get rid of him! Never before in history has an American president been so excoriated by members of his own party after barely a year in office. The wheels aren't coming off...they are off! Only a madman would keep beating a dead horse (ObamaCare) day after day after day knowing that 3/4 of the country is against HIS plan! When are the audiences going to start throwing rotten eggs at him??? Oh yeah...the audiences are hand picked stooges! He reminde me of Captain Queeg from the Caine Mutiny! The only thing missing is the steel balls!!!

Barack Hussein Obama - Con Artist Extraordinaire

Bush was the one that handpicked his audience.

3/4 of the country is against his plan? Keep drinking the Fox koolaid without factchecking.

We didn't like Bush that's why Obama is in. One impeachment after the other we weren't ready for. Now is a different story. The dems are circling the dems. The repubs will do the same the nearer it gets to November, if we still have a country, that is. Next time, we the people, need to make the CHANGE we believe in. We need all these bills in front of us. No more of Pelosi's thing of we'll see it after it is past. Actually, I hope Carahan will do something about this mess.The bad loans out number the good loans but 100's of percentages. The banks aren't willingly giving them up. We can do our part and refuse to make any more loans. Maybe the bankers will get the idea when all their stooges revolt and go back to cash.

Did you say this will be his final pitch? I sure hope it is, but I doubt it. I am so damn tired of hearing about this HCR train wreck. If it is such a great piece of legislation , then why isn't it on Obie's desk being signed? I'll tell you why , there are only a hand full of far left wing progressives that want this bill to pass. They seem to think that the federal goverment should dictate every aspect of our lives. Up or Down vote right now , then SFU about it. JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, JOBS Real jobs , not tax payer tit sucking goverment jobs.

Robbin' (us to the poorhouse) Carnahan has been in hiding here-to-fore, which is not a wise tactic in Missour., but, in this case she made the right move. RUN and HIDE from barry o . . . . the guy's political poison! he's gonna' help us put our fiscally conservative, socialist senatorette claire mc clueless into retirement, but we have to wait 'til '12 before that can occur. in the meantime we're gonna' kick the carnahans under the bus in '10!